A Sword, Not a Shield

I am often asked by women (or people who love them) if carrying a handgun is a good deterrent to rape or other violent crime in certain circumstances.  Say, an unavoidable nightly walk through a bad area as part of a commute to a class or a job.  Or, as seems to happen with increasing frequency, a potentially life-threatening situation involving a stalker or a disgruntled ex.  Women who are finally leaving abusive situations are at greatest risk.Some who ask are gun enthusiasts who know me as a partisan Democrat and generally liberal guy, and expect me to react negatively so they can challenge my view.  Some detest guns and are hoping I’ll placate them and confirm their belief that guns are worthless or worse when it comes to self-protection.  I know a few police officers that feel exactly that way.  The truth is, not surprisingly, somewhere in the middle, and so is my opinion on the matter.  Would I dissuade my sisters or any other capable female I know from owning and carrying a handgun in certain situations?  No.  But I also know that both of my sisters understand well the difference between what a gun is and what it’s not.  A gun is a sword, not a shield.  Failing to fully internalize and deeply appreciate that distinction is the difference between being able to use a gun to save yourself or a loved one, and simply adding to the menace.“The Shootist” is a magnificent film about a dying man who is part of a dying breed in the dying wild west of 1901.  John Wayne’s timing- dying himself when he made it- couldn’t have been more poignant.  I saw it with one of my oldest friends, Bob Bennett, who has taught me many things over the long years, not the least of which is the true nature of a firearm.  With the movie as a backdrop, it was Bob who taught me when we were kids that a gun was not a thing to be hated.  Or loved.  It was simply a tool.  But what he stressed was that, in order to use a gun to protect oneself, it wasn’t enough to understand how to maintain, safely store, aim and shoot the thing.  It took willingness.  Wayne’s character evaluates his success as a killer by noting that some men flinch or bat an eye before they shoot- and that he didn’t.When a woman on a dark street decides to draw a handgun from a purse to defend herself against a would-be attacker, the split second timing might not be as crucial, but the dead-eyed willingness to kill is.  And keep in mind- I’m using a woman as an example here only because women often feel more physically vulnerable for obvious reasons.  The dynamics associated with the use of guns apply equally to men, and on balance I think women are probably tougher when push comes to shove.To maintain any gun safely and properly is a heavy enough burden for anyone worthy of gun ownership.  That was Bob’s first lesson.  But to squeeze the trigger and kill- not stop, not hurt, not scare, but kill- requires a willingness not everyone has.  Some have staved off harm by drawing and pointing guns at would-be attackers for sure.  But to rely on brandishing with no intent to fire is worse than folly.   It invites an attacker to use your gun first against you and then in other crimes.  And for what it’s worth, people in real life don’t die like they sometimes do in television and movies, and even justified killers don’t just walk away after a few questions from sympathetic detectives.  We’ve been coarsened to a large degree by CGI and illicit video uploads, so many feel as if the mystery has been taken out of violent death.  But while movies and bootleg videos might seem to reduce the shock of seeing a bullet strike a human body, video does zero to prepare a killer- even a completely justified one- for the emotional, legal, financial and social life changes that soon take place and never fully subside.So my advice is different from what many who know me would assume.  Want a gun for personal protection?  Do as Bob would do:  Own- don’t just learn, damn it, but own- how difficult it is to maintain one properly in your home and on your person.  If you’re comfortable with that considerable burden given your circumstances (kids, neighbors, the security of your car, home, etc), then shop wisely with someone who knows you and knows guns.  Then attend a NRA safety course and whatever else you need to supplement it.  Then take a long, unvarnished look in the mirror and ask yourself if you mean it when you tell your instructors that yes, you won’t ever draw unless you’re ready to shoot and yes, you understand that guns are for killing and not for wounding.If you can handle all of that, and your circumstances truly merit the need for a handgun, then Godspeed and I pray you never have to use it.  If you do, aim as you’ve been taught and have practiced and be ready for what comes next.  If you’ve done everything correctly, it’s a far kinder fate than what the bastard you shot down had in mind for you.  But it won’t be a cakewalk.